That was my nickname all through Jr. and Sr. high school. And 50 years ago today, as I was walking home from school along Great Plain Ave. in the Boston suburb of Needham, a car driven by one of my friends slowed down as it drove by me, and both he and his passenger yelled out to me…

Hey, Greenie… somebody shot Kennedy! They think he's dead!

I just stopped where I was and tried to process that information for a few seconds, and then broke into a dead run. And I kept running for two miles 'til i got home, where my mother was sitting at the kitchen table, crying. The TV was on in the living room and I just dropped down on the couch and watched. Stunned. My father, who had closed his factory and sent his employees home early, arrived a short time later, and he and my mother just sat motionless and speechless at the kitchen table for an hour.

I remember the smallest details. For those of you who are old enough, where were you and what were you doing when you heard the news that day?

I was walking across the oval of Pittsburg State University going to chemistry class. A couple of friends stopped us to tell us. I think my response was "No Shiit!"

Went on to class. The prof came in and confirmed the news. He dismissed class. I went back to my dorm, packed my bags and went home. Dad was glued to the TV . Very concerned that some other troubles would follow.

Dave

_________________________
There are 10 kinds of people.Those that understand binary and those that don't.

I was in sophomore English class and we were reading humorous essays we had written as a class assignment. We were laughing it up and having a good time when a teacher next door came and ask "how can you all laugh at a time like this?"We looked at her with confusion and ask what are you talking about?She then told us that Kennedy had been shot and was probably dead. We were all stunned.

Apparently the school had come over the PA system and told everyone in the school but us. Our room was at the end of a long wing of the school and either they didn't get our switch flipped to activate our speaker or there was a short in it, but we never got the message.Of course arrest the class was surreal. Of course our teacher started crying. Many of the girls in the class started crying. The guys didn't want to damage their egos so we just, sucked it up and look solemn.

My next class at 5th period was chemistry. we had a hour exam scheduled and the teacher made us take it!! We ask her why because we're also miserable and confused, and she said it would help take our minds off of the tragedy. We don't know if you ever counted the test, as I'm sure we didn't perform as well as we could have, but she made us take. I don't even remember what it was over! That shows you how well we were focused.

Anyway that's my story. there always events that mark our lives and we know exactly where we were and exactly what the conditions were like. The Kennedy assassination is one, the space shuttle disaster another, announcing the death of Elvis Presley, and of course 9/11. Those are milestones that mark our lives.

To me it was just another event in the course of our lives. I was gravitated to the events but his death never affected me. I knew we, as a country had another president. I didn't know him personally so I never felt anything personally. I know many are affected by politicians dying but I'm not.

The same when Reagan was shot. I never worried he would die.

I think back on other events that had many deaths an lament on that often, as Pearl Harbor and the Twin Towers.

Politicians don't bother me much. Except, of course the current one. I have worried from the first about the possible attempt on his life. Afraid it might happen. If it did we, as a nation, would be in for some rough times. Times we possibly would not survive as a nation.

Dave

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There are 10 kinds of people.Those that understand binary and those that don't.

I remember the rumors going school /town around after JFK was shot. Would Texas have to seceed? Would the state be held responsible? He was the first since the 1890s to be assinated... we didn't know all the ramifications for many days, weeks. Very unsettling for a teenager. I know better now, BUT . . I worry it can reoccur esp with the hostile political climate. It's not like some can disagree politically now... one side in particular has to make the other side out to be Evil, anti-American, foreign, anti-religious, communist, ... unhuman . Once you do that (like a certain group in Germany did) you can justify ANY action or consequences against them- including death. Sorry, the GOTP has become very intolerant, and visceraly mean. (perfect example is this filibuster mess).

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